Ham, Cheddar and Poached Egg Pita Breakfast Sandwich

When I order a breakfast sandwich, I want it to be messy. Back when I worked for a big publisher, the chef who did breakfast in the office cafeteria would always crack the egg yolk with the side of his spatula when cooking my ham, egg and cheese. It drove me bonkers. I like the yolk runny so that it bursts into your mouth, perhaps leaving a little drip on your chin (pass the napkin, please!). Finally, I just asked one day if there was a reason he did that — was it a safety issue? Nope, just that most people don’t like their yolks dripping out of the sandwich.

I do.

So after that, I learned to remind him never to break my yolk. About 50 percent of the time he’d remember when he started cooking seconds later. Eh, 50 percent is better than nothing.

As I was making this sandwich this morning, I couldn’t help but think how it was a little messy. The threat of errant water from the egg … the runny yolk. Yep. Messy. And I like it that way.

Place one pita bread on a baking sheet (a square of foil below helps contain mess). Layer the ham and the cheddar on top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan of water to boiling. Reduce to a simmer and remove from the burner for a minute. Crack the egg into a small bowl, careful not to break the yolk. Once the water stops having big bubbles, slip the egg into the pot. Return to the burner and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the white is firm and the yolk remains runny.